>    Anyone every try putting a Nissan 2.2L diesel in a vanagon? I've just been
>offered a really good running engine for free.

My personal experience with Nissan diesels, as well as others I know
(owners in the taxi fleet), pushes me to say "DON'T DO IT!!!!"

Nissan diesels are NOT reliable, nor are they economical. The LD28
six is rough and fragile; the RD28 which replaced it is smooth but
ALL examples are STUFFED by 60,000km. The Bluebird 2.0 diesel (RB20?)
is junk too. I'd doubt the 2.2 is any better, given Nissan's track
record. Performance isn't reat whle the engine runs, either.

If you want a Japanese diesel go Toyota only, but beware turbos,
which are prone to cracking heads; the diesel people here all say
that this can be alleviated by fitting a nice fat exhaust to dump
heat.

The ideal diesel conversion would be the 2.2 flat-4 turbodiesel 3C-T
engine from the Estima (=Previa). Lying on its side, there are no
clearance problems at all. Just fit a fat pipe! Quick and reliable,
and reasonably economical. Buy one in from a Japanese wrecker...

A 2C 2.0 Corolla/Corona/Liteace, 3C Liteace would work well, but
require a raised lid; these are very reliable donks, as the numbers
in our taxi fleets show. A 2.4 or 2.8 Corona Mk II/Hiace/Hilux engine
would do too, but will be big & heavy. A Hilux 3.0 1KZ would be
better; a Hiace 1KZ-T would be great!

If I weren't putting an SVX engine in my van, I'd be doing a 1KZ-T.
--
Andrew Grebneff
165 Evans St, Dunedin 9001, New Zealand
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut